In this study, we investigated a rural school district's endeavor to implement and sustain coding and robotics integration into their elementary school classrooms. Our data sources were teacher and administrator interviews, video recordings of teachers' learning of coding and robotics, and artifacts. The analysis showed that administrators and…

The purposes of this research were to 1) study the components and indicators of teacher competency in Mechatronics and Robotics, 2) study the current states, desirable states, and the needs for teacher competency development in the Mechatronics and Robotics Department, 3) design and development of teacher competency-enhancing programs in…

This paper reports findings from a study where regional, rural, and remote (RRR) educators were involved in a Queensland Government-funded 3-year Central Queensland (CQ) STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) Cluster Project designed to enhance student learning opportunities. This project provided STEM professional development,…

Idea generation in interactive learning environments requires the consideration of the interactivity and materiality aspects of creativity. In educational robotics, idea generation is mediated through a technological object in a process allowing us to observe the three main components of divergent thinking: fluency, flexibility, and originality.…

Background/purpose: This study aimed to investigate teachers' perceptions of using advanced technological tools, specifically the NAO robot, in co-teaching settings to enhance class development and promote complex thinking in higher education. Complex thinking is a crucial skill in higher education, enabling students to effectively address and…

In today's conditions, the needs of the labor market are changing in parallel with technological developments and the need for individuals trained in STEM is increasing. For this reason, it is a priority to increase the skills and awareness of teachers who will guide individuals trained in the field of STEM. In this study, a STEM training with…

It is becoming increasingly vital for the next generation of students to acquire problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaborative skills for them to be successful in the 21st century. The use of technology greatly bolsters the integration of these skills. Robotics, one of the many emerging arrays of technologies, presents learners with…

Rapid advances in science and engineering, and pervasive adoption of resulting technological products, are influencing every aspect of human living and fueling a growing demand for a workforce that is adequately prepared for the emerging occupations in STEM fields. Educating students for success in the modern technology-rich workplace requires…

The purpose of the current study is to examine the effect of adapting the engineering design process to robotic coding, STEM, and the nature of science applications on teachers' self-efficacy towards engineering education and attitudes towards robotic coding. A weak experimental design with a single-group pre-test and post-test, one of the…

Recent years have witnessed an increasing emphasis on integrating computational thinking into school curriculums. This study deals with suggesting a course model including data collection tools for evaluating teachers' pedagogical content knowledge in teaching computational thinking via teaching robot programming. Taking the advantages of virtual…

Contribution: This work examines the impact of a unique precollege STEM education initiative during its two pilot years. The study contributes to the growing body of research by unpacking the needs of and the impact on an important stakeholder group (i.e., the teachers) in the engineering education ecosystem to help inform the future design and…

Since teaching robotics in schools is still new for teachers, studies on how to integrate computational thinking concepts in robotics courses are still rare. In this direction, teacher training sessions for teaching robotics should be visited. Accordingly, in this exploratory case study, a professional development program for teachers was…

In recent years there has been an increased push for K-12 computer science education. A major reason for this push is the growing evidence that introducing young children to coding can enhance their interest and promote their learning of foundational skills needed to thrive in today's technologically rich world. However, little research has…

The importance of integrating effective teaching strategies in Professional Development (PD) programs for Educational Robotics (ER)-based Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education is increasingly recognized. However, we need to add to the growing body of studies on comprehensive instructional approaches for teaching robotics…

This research aimed to investigate the structural relationships among teachers' computational thinking (CT), design thinking (DT), robotics teaching beliefs, and robotics pedagogical content knowledge (RPCK). A total of 98 in-service and pre-service teachers who participated in a robotics teaching professional development workshop served as the…